Going out there in the water, it feels as if there's nothing wrong with me.

I have always had a dream to take part in an Olympic Games, and losing my leg didn't change anything.

I don't think of myself as being disabled, or able-bodied.

To be here, is a dream come true. A dream is something that you set for yourself, not what other people set for you. When I qualified in Seville I burst into tears. I couldn't believe that I was going to the Olympic Games.

I am always late because people stop me for autographs and say hi.

When you are racing in an able-bodied competition, you're all equal and you go out there and try your best, and that's what counts.

Swimming is my passion and something that I love. Going out there in the water, it feels as if there's nothing wrong with me. I go out there and train as hard as anybody else. I have the same dreams, the same goals. It doesn't matter if you look different. You're still the same as everybody else because you have the same dream.